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Since there is a real risk of catching a COVID variant now, my son will wear a mask flying to Denmark next week. He doesn't want to mess up the required COVID test to board the cruise, etc. We don't fly to Spain until October, so we hope by then being "up-to-date" will be enough to return to the US even if Royal still requires COVID testing for the cruise.

Royal (AON) covers what you insured with them. Now if you bought airline tickets separately, the airline or 3rd party could sell you insurance just for that. Read the AON policy to see what it covers specifically. Check what would happen if you missed the cruise because of transportation to the port. Would it still cover the lost cruise even if the transportation wasn't insured by them? Also, the credit card you used to purchase your airline tickets may offer coverage for luggage and travel delays. When our airline lost our luggage, Allianz covered it, but we included our airline tickets in the original policy (which increased our premium).

We are anxious to go back to Grand Cayman to experience "Sting Ray City", but Royal cancelled our Feb cruise even after an itinerary change. I hope you get to go there!

We just booked a lunch a la carte on Mariner. Our TA gives us a dining coupon with balcony room, too. We can't book that until we've boarded the ship.

Arrive a day early, be aware of Covid precautions for embarkation port and Royal, have valid passports, etc.

We put vanilla in our checked bag.

Take advantage of the Centrum! Music, relaxation, dancing....

18 June, the week before your trip. We are on the Mariner rather than the Explorer.

To reinforce the other comments, in foreign ports we never leave our belongings unattended. At Coco Cay or on the ship, it's a bit safer. I would never leave my seapass unattended at Coco Cay or Labadee, but I have seen folks just clip lanyards to their chairs. We can help each other by taking note of those around us....

Excursion tips vary with the type of tour, and you run into driver vs. tour guide, the latter getting more. For porters I consider the number of bags being checked. As has been noted, tipping is a subjective process and influenced by one's wealth or philosophy/generosity. On $$ for port days, I always wished I had more because you never know when you will decide to stop and eat/drink even when you "planned" to return to the ship for meals.

Cruise Compass should show times for climbing, pools, etc. We check a recent Compass to plan.

I don't think the deck itself matters, aside from noise at pool or acqua shows. Location is key as others have noted. Avoid obstructed view.

And you may need to cut and paste to print your set sail pass, or use a snipping tool, if a simple screen print messes up the bar code. That has been addressed in other threads.

Agree.

Not a gadget, but sunglasses are essential, the wrap around type which fit over my prescription glasses. If I lose those, I hit the shops for one of those wallet sets ....

Artifact of not having Crown and Anchor account yet?

My first reply got lost in cyberspace, so let me condense my first post a bit: We are also going to the Med for 8 nights, and we will pack a couple of nice outfits. I prefer a tie on formal night along with slacks and a sport coat. Others say clothes don't matter. Well.... remember you are representing yourself to other cultures, and let that influence your packing. Whatever you choose, have a memorable cruise.

I recall a few years ago we had a coupon from a Travel Agent or a loyalty discount on JR. That reduced the cost.

Agree to a point--no reason not to get an official passport. On taking passports off the ship, you run the risk of theft, especially in particular hot spots for pickpockets. So you need a secure (can't be cut) under-the-shirt passport holder, or some other device that is anti-theft. I gave up taking them off the ship when I started snorkeling and taking boat rides - no security really available. On one boat ride, the launch was swamped and our passports were almost ruined with seawater (while I was fully clothed). We stick with Royal excursions, so we aren't worried about being left behind. In an emergency we are confident that the Port Agent will help us reclaim items in our room safe.

Thanks, I was just able to do this by exiting checkout and then re-entering with a new reservation. I actually logged out of CP, got to the main page of cruises, then reentered CP.

Update, for a subsequent cruise I was able to use Cruise Planner to schedule MTD on multiple days by exiting checkout after each reservation (saving cart and logging out) and then re-entering for a new reservation. So my 8N cruise required 8 separate Cruise Planner reservations in sequence.

When I use the Cruise Planner to book MTD, it only permits a single reservation (e.g., the first night or the nth night but not all nights of the cruise). We had to switch to the App to get the rest of the nights booked, and by then the good times were unavailable.

Negative, no such emails.

When I posed my original question, I knew there would be differences in approach to pre-cruise planning, but I was not trying to be divisive. I thank everyone for sharing their thoughts, from which I have learned a great deal. And I truly thank all who continue to work and support the rest of us. We are really looking forward to our cruise next month and wish everyone a safe and wonderful journey. Cruising can be therapy for all of us!

We found that on the Royal App we could upload both vaccination cards, regular and booster, separately. Matt announced this on the blog, I believe.